Following the trail, p.1
Following the Trail, page 1
“I need to talk to you about Fawn, but first I have something I need to take care of.”
“What?”
“Scarlett was real antsy around that fallen tree trunk,” Lacey said. “I want to go take a look at what she was reacting so strongly to.”
Creed nodded. “I’ll go out there with you.”
She studied him for a moment, then gave a short dip of her head. “Can you keep Regina and the others here until we finish checking out that tree trunk?” she asked.
He narrowed his eyes. “Why? Don’t tell me Scarlett is trained in cadaver search, as well.”
Lacey shook her head. “She started out that way but hated it. She apparently just really did not like the smell and would be very skittish when she got close to a dead body.”
“Can’t say I blame her,” he muttered.
“And she would sneeze. She was acting that way out by the tree.”
Creed froze. “I see. And you think there’s a dead body out there?”
“I don’t think so. I’m...afraid so.”
Lynette Eason is a bestselling, award-winning author who makes her home in South Carolina with her husband and two teenage children. She enjoys traveling, spending time with her family and teaching at various writing conferences around the country. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and American Christian Fiction Writers. Lynette can often be found online interacting with her readers. You can find her at Facebook.com/lynette.eason and on Twitter, @lynetteeason.
Books by Lynette Eason
Love Inspired Suspense
Holiday Homecoming Secrets
Peril on the Ranch
Mountain Fugitive
Following the Trail
True Blue K-9 Unit
Justice Mission
Wrangler’s Corner
The Lawman Returns
Rodeo Rescuer
Protecting Her Daughter
Classified Christmas Mission
Christmas Ranch Rescue
Vanished in the Night
Holiday Amnesia
Following the Trail
Lynette Eason
www.millsandboon.com.au
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
—Jeremiah 29:11–13
Dedicated to Jack Eason, my husband and my everyday hero. I love you so much.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventee
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Dear Reader
Excerpt from Secret Sabotage by Terri Reed
ONE
Lacey Lee Jefferson was worried. In fact, she was borderline terrified. Her sister, Fawn, had been silent for the past five days, not answering texts, emails or phone calls.
And Lacey’d had enough. She’d been avoiding calling Fawn’s work because of her sister’s strong stance about not receiving personal calls while on duty, but desperate times called for desperate measures. So, she’d called and learned Fawn, a doctor at the hospital, had taken a three-month absence, only to return to work for two days before dropping off the radar once more.
This morning, Lacey had made the three-hour journey out to her childhood home, where Fawn still lived, and had found it empty, with no indication where her sister might be.
Which was why Lacey now stood outside the sheriff’s department in Timber Creek, North Carolina. Only her missing sister could have enticed her back to this town for the first time in six years. She pushed through the glass doors and made her way to the receptionist’s desk, bracing herself for any animosity that might flare when the woman realized who stood in front of her. “Hi, Sherry.”
Sherry Olson looked up from her computer screen and her eyes widened. “Well, as I live and breathe, if it isn’t Lacey Lee.”
“Just Lacey these days, thanks.” Sherry and Lacey had graduated high school together. And as far as she could tell, there was nothing but surprise in Sherry’s eyes. Relief nearly sent Lacey puddling to the floor.
“It’s good to see you,” Sherry said. “It’s been a long time.” Not long enough, as far as Lacey was concerned, but... “What can I do for you?”
“Have you seen Fawn lately?”
Sherry frowned. “No, not that I can think of, but we don’t exactly run in the same circles. She’s still working at the hospital, right?”
“Right. She was at work last week for two days, then never came back for her next shift. Before that, she’d taken a three-month leave of absence, but it’s been a week now since anyone’s heard from her.”
“What? That doesn’t sound like Fawn.”
“No kidding. That’s why I’m here. I want to talk to someone about doing a missing person report. Fawn’s not answering her phone at all—or returning calls or texts. Everything goes straight to voice mail and I’m really getting worried.” Understatement of the century.
“Oh my. That doesn’t sound good.” Sherry picked up the phone. “Creed, someone’s out here to see you.”
Creed? Creed Payne? Well, of course it would be Creed. He was the sheriff, after all. The sheriff with the smoky gray eyes and wavy dark hair, broad shoulders she’d cried on more than once as a teen. Creed... It disturbed her that her heart still sighed at his name.
Sherry hung up. “He said to send you on back to his office. Go down the hall and it’s the last door on the left.”
“Thanks.”
Lacey knew exactly where Creed’s office was. He’d brought her to this building when she was seventeen years old, shown her the corner office that the sheriff used and said, “That’s going to be mine one day.”
She’d thought it terribly shortsighted of him and told him he was meant for bigger things, that he was selling himself short.
“Thanks a lot, Lacey. Glad you think so much of my dreams.” He’d shoved his hands into his pockets and stalked away.
Lacey had been crushed. Desperate to talk to him before she left for college, she’d gone home, packed up her car and called him again. His mother had answered the phone and said she didn’t know where he was. Lacey had tried to find him, searched the whole town, but hadn’t been able to locate him before she’d had to leave. And now she was going to talk to him for the first time in six years.
She raised her fist to knock when the door opened, and there he stood, larger-than-life. He was just as she remembered—and so much more. He’d filled out and become a man.
Their eyes met.
His widened.
Her heart thundered.
His lips parted, formed her name—
“Creed! Creed!”
He jerked his head at Sherry’s shriek. “What is it?”
Sherry stood just in the hallway, her face pale, fist clutched around the phone. “Little Hank’s missing. This is Joe, saying he and Denise can’t find him. They’ve been searching for over half an hour.”
Denise Banks and Joe Gilstrap from high school? They’d married? Fawn hadn’t mentioned that.
“Where’d they last see him?” Creed asked. Sherry held the phone out to him and he snatched it. “Joe? When did you last see Hank?...Uh-huh...Okay...I’m heading that way. Keep looking and I’ll be there soon.” He hung up and gave the phone back to Sherry. “Tell Ben.”
She hurried back down the hall. Creed sighed and grabbed his Stetson from his desk. “Hank’s five years old. Poor kid has wandered off and is probably scared to death. We need to find him before it gets dark.”
“Want some help?” Lacey asked.
He narrowed his eyes. “Sure. We can use all the volunteers we can get.”
“What about a search-and-rescue dog?”
“That’s on the wish list. Unfortunately, we haven’t raised the funds for it yet.”
“No, I mean I have one. Scarlett’s in the car.”
He blinked at her for a good three seconds before he huffed a short laugh. “I really hope you’re not kidding.”
“Not kidding at all. She’s a redbone coonhound with one of the best tracking noses in the country. I’m a contract K-9 handler for the Mecklenburg police department in Charlotte. When I’m not doing Search and Rescue operations, I have my own training facility with several volunteers and one part-time paid employee.”
His jaw dropped. “How long have you been doing that?”
“For about three years.”
“That’s...incredible. Like an answer to prayer.” He nodded. “Okay, then, let’s get Scarlett and go find Hank.”
“I’ll just need something of Hank’s to let her get the scent.”<
“I’ll arrange it on the way.”
“I’ll follow you.”
He strode out of the office and down the hall, his long legs eating up the distance. “Ben! Mac!”
“Coming!” Ben Land stepped out of his office. He spotted Lacey and his eyes widened. “Hey there, Lacey Lee. How are you?”
“It’s just Lacey now, Ben. I’m doing fine.” Mostly.
“Let’s catch up after we find this kid.”
“I’d love to.” He’d always been kind to her in high school. More so than most after her father went to prison.
He looked at Creed. “Mac’s not here, but he’ll meet us there.”
“Great.”
Lacey hurried to her truck and waited for Creed and Ben to pull out of the parking lot. She fell in behind them, and Scarlett let out a yip from her spot in the back.
“You ready to go to work, girl?”
Two more barks answered her, and Lacey smiled before focusing her concentration on following the men up the mountain. About halfway to the top, Creed pulled into a long driveway that ended at a two-story log cabin home. The wooded area behind the house appeared to go on for infinity, but Lacey knew exactly what was on the other side of those woods.
Her sister’s house.
Technically, it was half hers, too, but she’d not laid any claim to it. However, Fawn loved their childhood home and had been happy to stay there while working at the hospital fifteen minutes away. Lacey hated it. All it did for her was symbolize loss and remind her of days she’d rather forget.
Goose bumps pebbled her skin, but she did her best to ignore them while she opened the door to Scarlett’s customized back seat and snapped the lead to her collar.
The dog hopped down, her droopy ears flopping around her head while her tongue hung from the side of her mouth. Her dark eyes watched Lacey with expectation. “Hang on, girl.”
More cars pulled up, and soon the front yard was full of townspeople ready to help search for little Hank.
“Lacey? Is that you?”
She turned to see Isabelle McGee headed toward her, followed by Katherine Gilroy—no, O’Ryan now, according to Fawn—one of the doctors in town. Lacey tensed, then allowed herself to relax slightly when she saw no condemnation in either pair of eyes. Interesting. She’d thought after what her father had done, the grudge would have been held infinitely. Had she been wrong? “Hey, how are you guys?”
“Good,” Isabelle said. “What brings you back to town?”
“I’m looking for Fawn. Have either of you seen her lately?”
Isabelle shook her head and Katherine frowned. “I saw her last week at the hospital. I had to go in to see a patient and we passed in the hall. We didn’t get a chance to chat, but I wanted to ask her if she was all right.”
“Why?”
“She looked rough. Like she’d had too many sleepless nights or was getting over an illness. But we’ve been so busy that I haven’t had a chance to catch up with her.” And while Katherine and Fawn were both doctors and often in the hospital at the same time, they weren’t close friends, so it wasn’t likely Katherine would have thought any more about it.
“Okay, thanks.”
“Isabelle?” A man about her age, dressed in the local deputy uniform, hurried toward them.
“That’s Mac,” Katherine said, her voice low.
“Isabelle’s husband.”
“Yes.”
“Lacey, are you and Scarlett ready?” Creed hollered at her from the tree line.
“Ready!” She shot the two ladies a tight smile. “Do you mind asking some of the people here if they’ve seen or heard from Fawn? I’m getting desperately worried about her.”
“Of course,” Isabelle said. “I think I even still have your number in my phone, if it hasn’t changed.”
“It hasn’t.” She’d kept the same number for many reasons. One of those reasons stood waiting for her.
“I’ll get it from Isabelle,” Katherine said. “Go find Hank, please. I’ll be looking, too, in case he needs medical attention.”
With a wave, Lacey darted toward Creed and the terrified parents. When she reached them, they all eyed Scarlett with flares of hope. “Thank you for doing this, Lacey.” Denise’s dark brows furrowed further. She had a small sleeping baby strapped to her chest. “When Creed called and said you were here with a search-and-rescue dog... Well, you’re an answer to our prayers.” She clasped her hands under the baby’s rump. “You can really do this?”
“Scarlett and I can. I need something of Hank’s that has his scent on it.”
“Um, yeah,” Joe said. “Creed told us what to get. Here.” He passed her a bag. “It’s the pajama shirt he wore last night.”
“Perfect. Where did you last see him?”
“On the screened-in porch.” Denise swiped the tears on her cheeks even as more fell. She patted the baby’s back. “I needed to change the little man here, but hadn’t brought a diaper out with me.” She ran a shaking hand over the infant’s head. “I’m just getting used to this whole two-children thing, and sometimes I forget...”
“It’s okay, honey,” Joe said. “This isn’t on you.”
Denise drew in a shuddering breath. “Anyway, I ran to get one and some wipes. When I came back, there was a hole in the screen and Hank was gone.” A sob shook her, and Joe slid an arm around her shoulders.
Lacey’s heart ached for the couple. “Could someone have taken him?” If he’d been put in a car...
“No,” Joe said. “We have security cameras, and the footage showed him kicking the screen out and walking away. He’s a curious kid...”
Well, that was better than being snatched. “All right. So, what I’m going to do is give Scarlett a whiff of this, then kind of walk her around until she picks up the trail.”
Denise nodded, and while Joe looked a little skeptical, his expression held a desperate hope.
The long lead attached to Scarlett’s harness would allow the dog the freedom to run at a pretty good pace while Lacey followed. Lacey tapped her pocket and Scarlett fairly danced with excitement. She knew as soon as she did her job, she’d get to play with her favorite toy. A tennis ball.
Lacey opened the bag with Hank’s shirt and held it for the animal. “Scarlett, seek.”
Scarlett stuck her snout in the opening and got her whiff.
“Scarlett, seek. Find Hank.”
Scarlett’s tail wagged, and she lifted her head, black nose quivering, ears waving in the wind. With a short bark, she started pacing, alternating nose in the air and near the ground. Soon, she gave another bark and took off like a shot for the woods.
“Here we go,” Lacey said. She followed Scarlett at a fast jog, her hand wrapped around the end of the lead. Footsteps fell into place behind her. She shot a quick glance back and noted Creed’s expression.
He was coming along whether she wanted him to or not.
Too bad he hadn’t felt that way six years ago.
* * *
Creed couldn’t help that his heart beat faster. Not just because he was jogging after Lacey and Scarlett, and not just because a child was in danger. But because Lacey Lee—Lacey now, he reminded himself—was back in town.
Lacey. He’d thought he’d moved on from the heartbreak she’d caused him, but all it had taken to bring it back was to find her standing outside his office door.
Sherry’s timely interruption had kept him from blurting out something he might’ve later regretted. He honestly had no idea what he’d been about to say, and now he’d probably never know. He was okay with that. But when she hadn’t hesitated to offer her help to find Hank, he’d found himself admiring her all over again.
No. He had no intention of getting involved with Lacey this time. Not that she’d offered him the opportunity. He didn’t even know how long she’d been in town before she’d stopped in to the station. And he had no idea why she was there. He ordered his heart to chill, forbade it from yearning for something that was so far in the past he shouldn’t even remember the slightest detail.
But he did.
He watched her lithe form dodge trees and undergrowth while she kept a steady pace. She’d done this many times before and seemed to excel at it. That could only work in Hank’s favor. Please, God, protect that little boy. Please let us find him alive and just fine.
